Linux vs Unix for doing bioinformatics

[Tim Cutts]

In article <89isp9$b9e$1 at ezili.sis.pasteur.fr>,
Stephane Bortzmeyer <bortzmeyer at pasteur.fr> wrote:
>
>The Subject: is incorrect. Linux is an Unix, like a dog is a mammal or
>an applepie is a pie.

Although I agree with you in spirit, the pedantic truth is that Linux is
not Unix; it is a unix-like operating system, but it's not unix.

The description in most Linux distributions carefully avoids calling it
unix.  For example, the Debian FAQ says:

"Linux is the kernel of a Unix-like operating system"

www.linux.org says:

"Linux is a free Unix-type operating system..."

Neither site says that Linux *is* unix.

It's something that needs bearing in mind, since it could potentially
make a difference to software portability and so on.

Right, that's enough pedantry.  You can now go back to calling Linux
unix and I won't care.  :-)

Tim.